The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-08-11
South River Items.
LRepotted for the Y1ReIN1AN


vehicles loaded with persons going to and com
ing from the whortlebeIry fields. 'Twould be
hard to estimate the great number of bushels
of these fine berries that have found their way
to the Valley, but that the number would
reach q long way mp in the hundreds there can
be no doubt. And Notwithstanding the fact
so many lave been gathered, there are thou
sands of bushels that will go to waste, for at
some places there are vast stretches of land
that actually blue with the immense crop
still untouched. Parties travel a distance OF
ten or a dozen miles, gather from u to
bushels each. and returning reach home by sun
down. SO plentiful have they been that they
We're sold st ten cents per gallon after having
been hauled ten to fifteen miles
The answer given by our friend, Miller Steele.
ofSteele's Tavern, to the questions asked a
week or ago, are perfectly satisfactory. and
we have handed copy of the VlRGINIAN con-
tanning his answer to the friend at whose re-
quest we asked the questions. Mr. steele is
leveI-headed on any question that presents it
self to him and his answers, above mentioned,
carry weight with them, and will prove as sat
| lsfactory to all who see them as they are to us
In answer to your Richmond correspondent
| as to Chow to get there's" we have to reply that
I travellers via Shenandoah r. r. can reach
Hump-back from either Lyndhurst (going
seuth) or Stuarts Draft (going north), from both
| (which points to the ''Roclz'' there are excel
| lent roads leading through most picturesque
| sections. Conveyance may be procured at
either place at reasonable rates. The distance
from both places is the same-being about six
miles to the base of the rock. But parties from
Richmond wishing to take in" this most at
| tractive of all mountain points should leave
| the train &c. q o. at Alton. From that point
| (where there is an excellent livery to the tor
| of the Blue Ridge the distance is about u of q
mile. The tourist upon reaching the mountain
Top, mas smooth road of easy grade, running
for the distance OF three miles on the tip-top of
the mountain and thus for the whole distance
one secures aview of the Valley on either side
AT the end of the three miles the mountain
road comes abruptly to an end In the Towards
Vile pike, which was once great thoroughfare |
between the upper Valley and East Virginia. |
put which, like the Scottsvilie pike, ito which /
1t is Joined by the road just left) has fallen into
disuse as a commercial highway, since the COM
pletion of the railroad, but which is kept in
fine repair by those who reside along its route.
1t is ust at the point where the Howardsvile |
road, after having wound it's way up the west
efn slope, makes short turn to the south and
runs along the backbone preparatory to MAX
ing the descent of the eastern side, that IL e
road from Alton joins it, and it is at this point
of union that hump back looms up grimly be-
fore the traveller and although a mile away,
seems to threaten to fall upon and grind him to
atoms. Looking down to the left as you whirl T.
along an excellent road. you behold the quiet
nome OF Launcelot NJ. Butler the oldest settler
of this section. His farm is indescribably
beautiful The road runs along the edge of this
farm for more than half mile going nearly
around the dwelling, which is several hundred
feet below q Mr. RntI
is extremely interesting He came here sixty
years ago and found the land he now owns
covered with thick forest. Thousands of tons
Of the largest stones lay thick upon the ground.
Only mountain path led to the settlements
i've OF six miles away. Mr.. b. young and
strong, and he pitched in to win. He worked
On farms in the settlement to procure food
and getting weeks supply ahead, he put his
muscle to work on his possessions. This
ne continued to do-workng week for
neighbor and a week at home-until. he had
cleared enough ground to raise his first crop.
His wife aided him in his tolls, and while he
cut down and trimmed the trees, she piled the
brush and burned them They often worked
until 10 O'Clock at night--she burning brush and
he cutting the trees by the light of the fires.
The traveller can count-n full view of the road
--nlne hundred heaps of rock averaging each
three tons, all of which this energetic man
piled up with his own hands. These with some
five hundred in fields not in site of the road =
besides q a mile of rock fence five feet nigh G
and four to five feet thick, give you ap idea of
how Mr.. B. employed his time. The portion of
the farm upon which the dwelling is, is in the
form of an old fashioned dough tray. 1t is q
by Il mile and is watered by a bold stream
which flows through the middle from one end
to the other, The land is highly fertile and
lies open to the east. The mind would be at a
loss to imagine scene of such loveliness as is
presented to the eye by this noun tain home |
But we pass on, and a few hundred yards of
level roadway through 81 park of majestic oak.
poplar ard chestnut brings us to VIM. Carters
where the pike begins its descent into Nelson
and we find ourselves Immediately in full l.
view of the vast pile started out in Guest Of Y
BY toerahly straight road we are able to
reach TO Ghe very base of the rock on horseback |
or in g buggy, and here we find q broad "bench'' 4
as the mountain people call the hundred OF |
more acres oflevel land upon which the rock
seems to stand, Could we go directly to the !
top the ROCK we could reach it by q perpen-
dicular climb of six hundred feet, but as this is
impossible, we take plain path to the left and
wind in and out, up, up, up, up, and of sud-
den-WheW how the head Swims how eagerly
we look for something to clutch for here we
are at last amidst the clouds, with the world !
thousands of feet below us. | shall not at !
tempt to describe the scene as it opens un to |
the gaze from this awful height, nor the sensa-
lions produced by neing placed at so great an |
altltHde-penaean not draw the picture-the
awful grandeur, the vast, the immense the |
unreasonable proportions ofthe spectacle that
presents itself would render miserably futile
any attempt to describe it. We can only saw
go to Hump-back and you will be amply repaid
for any Inconvenience to which yon may be
put in reaching it,; And a. far as ineonven-
lenees are concerned we may say that there Id
not another point of NOTE on the noun tains of
Virginia as easy of access as this, You have
only some $50 yards to walk, and indeed you
may, by going u Ola miie round, ride to the
very spot,
we know of no other point of like character
Virginia where the accommodations afforded
by a farm house are to be had so close at hand
as at this point.
Those wishing To witness q sunrise from the |
rock can procure accommodations for the ,
night at VIM. Carter's-almost at the base of
the rock, or at W. 2, Empsweller's, 4 q mile
away. or at Mr.. Buffers. The table fare at
these houses il IS good as could wish, and
the charges so low that most of tho Sc who visit
here voluntarily supplement the charges made |
The lover OF a true story of the past well told
will delight in night spent at MI Buffers
And it is likely that while spending tn night
at this nome the tourist will be placed to rest
in the same room (and perhaps on the same
bed) that was occupied by Gen John O. Breck- /
inrldge on hi9 rQtreas by this route in 1854
But wait till you see MI, Butler--he'l tell YOU
all about it. and will take you to the road (and
along it) cut by Imboden from Mt TORY to the
mountain top in order to save his bacon when
he got penned up with Little Phil" in his rear.
ROVER. /
Col Charles Aunspaugh. one Of the old.
est ana most prominent citizens of Bote-
tourt, died at his residence in that county
on the Sth, aged SIS,